Genetics Of Infectious Disease Susceptibility

"Progress in the molecular analysis of genetic susceptibility to human and animal infectious diseases has been very rapid over the last few years. Several genes involved in resistance to HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, viral hepatitis, herpesvirus infections, prion diseases, and several others have now been identified, and their functions have partly or completely been elucidated." "This book covers the most recent advances in the field and explores how progress in knowing the genetic basis of infectious diseases could lead to new insights into understanding and combating them."--BOOK JACKET.

In the last fifteen years, substantial progress has been made in identifying why some people are particularly susceptible to specific infectious diseases. Extensive evidence has accumulated that host genes are important determinants of the outcome of infection for many common pathogens. This book summarises advances that have been made in understanding the complexity of host genetic susceptibility. The diseases covered include those of great public health importance such as malaria and HIV, and those of topical interest such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Many different techniques have been used to identify host genes involved in infectious disease susceptibility. Each chapter describes how these discoveries were made and the book is therefore useful to anyone planning genetic studies on a multi-factorial disease, regardless of whether it has an infectious etiology.

Infectious diseases are commonly regarded as a distinct category, with different causes and patterns than chronic or genetic disease. But in fact there are many varieties of genetic susceptibility to infection, the subject of this book, which will be divided into three sections: 1) concepts and methods, 2) genes and pathophysiologic mechanisms, and 3) infectious agents and diseases. No currently plubished text on either genetics or infectious diseases focuses on the genetic aspects of the special relationship between host and pathogen in the way envisioned for Section 1. No other work on the selected genes regulating immunity deals as systematically with the sequence variation/function relationships most pertinent to infection as planned for Section 2. And no other book gives as meaningful a picture of how these genes operate in infectious disease as Section 3 will.

Genetics and Evolution of Infectious Diseases is at the crossroads between two major scientific fields of the 21st century: evolutionary biology and infectious diseases. The genomic revolution has upset modern biology and has revolutionized our approach to ancient disciplines such as evolutionary studies. In particular, this revolution is profoundly changing our view on genetically driven human phenotypic diversity, and this is especially true in disease genetic susceptibility. Infectious diseases are indisputably the major challenge of medicine. When looking globally, they are the number one killer of humans and therefore the main selective pressure exerted on our species. Even in industrial countries, infectious diseases are now far less under control than 20 years ago. The first part of this book covers the main features and applications of modern technologies in the study of infectious diseases. The second part provides detailed information on a number of the key infectious diseases such as malaria, SARS, avian flu, HIV, tuberculosis, nosocomial infections and a few other pathogens that will be taken as examples to illustrate the power of modern technologies and the value of evolutionary approaches. Takes an integrated approach to infectious diseases Includes contributions from leading authorities Provides the latest developments in the field

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Immunogenetics is a 12-chapter book that begins with the elucidation of the major histocompatibility complex genes and their role in autoimmune and infectious diseases. Subsequent chapters explore the human major histocompatibility complex, including implications of their complement genes for linkage disequilibrium and disease associations. This book also describes the genetics of human immunoglobulins; T-cell clones; genes of the major histocompatibility complex of the mouse; and the generation, characterization, and use of monoclonal antibodies of murine and human origin. Specific diseases are also discussed; these include spondoarthritides, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, and autoimmune thyroid disease. This book will be of beneficial value to specialists in infectious diseases, endocrinology, connective tissue diseases, and neurology, as well as to medical scientists in immunology and molecular biology.

Over the past century, we have made great strides in reducing rates of disease and enhancing people's general health. Public health measures such as sanitation, improved hygiene, and vaccines; reduced hazards in the workplace; new drugs and clinical procedures; and, more recently, a growing understanding of the human genome have each played a role in extending the duration and raising the quality of human life. But research conducted over the past few decades shows us that this progress, much of which was based on investigating one causative factor at a time—often, through a single discipline or by a narrow range of practitioners—can only go so far. Genes, Behavior, and the Social Environment examines a number of well-described gene-environment interactions, reviews the state of the science in researching such interactions, and recommends priorities not only for research itself but also for its workforce, resource, and infrastructural needs.